Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/343109
30 / the tasting panel / july 2014 WHAT WE'RE DRINKING Chill Factor D rinking chilled red wine is a practice that traditionally has splashed on the far edges of "respectability." However, a new super-premium red wine from Italy promises to open the door to a world where serving cold red wine is not only acceptable—it's trendy. This is a wine designed and destined for the ice bucket (or refrigerator) and goes by the name Fichimori. Fichimori is produced by the Tormaresca winery in Puglia, which was established in 1988 by Marchesi Antinori, one of the world's oldest and most-respected wine families. Though Fichimori retails for less than $20, there's no denying that this is a wine to be taken seriously. Made primarily from Negroamaro, Puglia's increasingly popular native grape, Fichimori also has a touch of Syrah blended in and is vinified in the cellar with minimal oak to ensure muted, smooth tannins that accentuate its cherry and pomegranate flavors. Fichimori's intense red/purple color inspired its name, which means "dark fig" in Italian. Fichimori is intended for cool consumption, savored like a red but chilled almost like a white, ideally between 46 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The fact that it is a red designed for serving with a chill on it makes for advantageous opportunities and increased flexibility with food pairings—serve it with a wide range of summer foods from pasta salads, sandwiches and grilled meats to sushi, cheeses and fresh salads. Fichimori comes in an elegant trade dress—making it eye-catching to consumers. Its bottle is Burgundian in style, and its label is a lean black rectangle scalloped at the top and bearing crisp white capital letters, except for the "o," which is a scarlet, semicircular wine stain. As part of the Antinori family, Fichimori is imported by Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, and its U.S. launch and rollout will take place over the summer of 2014 in select markets in the United States, including Arizona, California, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Texas. Tormaresca's Maime vineyard by the sea in Puglia, Italy. PHOTO COURTESY OF ANTINORI FICHIMORI FROM TORMARESCA EXPANDS THE RED WINE CATEGORY INTO THE ICE BUCKET by Roger Morris